At our Public Meeting at Ivanhoe on 6 October 2010 Dr Paul Mees,
Senior Lecturer at RMIT University, provided great insight into the
public transport issues the north east of Melbourne faces and why
the North East link freeway will not ease congestion.
Dr Paul MeesKeynote
Address 6 October 2010 (download file)

Darren Peters, Spokesperson of the South Morang
and Mernda Rail Alliance provided insight into their successful
campaign to have the railway line extended to South Morang and the
continuing campaign to win adequate rail services for more
residents in the new growth suburbs in northern Melbourne.

We are very interested to hear your
thoughts, experiences & opinions about Public Transport
availability in Banyule. Please do so on the Feedback Form
provided below

Name: *

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Feedback: *

Banyule Bus Services Review Report fails to
deliver

There are no improvements for Banyule in the bus services report
annouced by the Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula.

Banyule Bus Services Review Report needs to
break the mould

Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula was to announce results of
the Banyule/ Darebin/ Moreland bus review on Thursday 23
September.

Friends of Banyule contributed a 15-page submission to the
Review which identified significant gaps in the bus network and
which force increasing numbers of residents of Banyule and
surrounding municipalities to resort to car use in situations where
public transport should be the most convenient and cheapest option.
A well-performed system of route buses would also substantially
reduce pressure on the road system and the environment
generally.

Bus service weaknesses in Banyule include low service frequency,
poor connections with trains, poor Saturday, Sunday and public
holiday services and indirect routes.

According to a recent report in The
Age, an analysis by Bus Victoria, the peak industry group for
bus operators, has revealed that only 153 of the 711
recommendations made in earlier announced bus reviews elsewhere in
Melbourne have been implemented by the Victorian government.

So it looks like bus services continue to be treated by the
Victorian government as the poor cousin of trains and trams. To be
effective, the Victorian government needs to break this mould in
the review of bus services for Banyule, Darebin and Moreland. Buses
should be seen in future as a key element in the total metropolitan
public transport network.

Friends of Banyule will review the
Banyule/Darebin/Moreland bus review following its release on 23
September and will continue with the campaign to upgrade bus and
rail services, especially on the Hurstbridge line.

Reforming Public Transport in Banyule

In recent years there has been a substantial increase in public
transport usage in Melbourne. This is a very good thing because it
obviates the pressure for expanded road space and associated damage
to the environment. The Hurstbridge rail line also serves
Banyule. Train patronage in Melbourne is growing by about 11% and
patrons of the Hurstbridge line testify to how crowded it
is, during peak hours in particular.

Much needs to be done to increase public transport patronage in
Banyule and to reduce the numbers of cars on our roads. The insight
and experience of people who use the public transport system in
Banyule is essential in the quest for transport reform.

The 517, the only route bus service for most Viewbank
residents, who have to walk up to 1.5 kilometres for a direct bus
service to Heidelberg

So please let us know what you think. Why is the system not
working and how could it work better for you and for others?
It may be an issue of service frequency, service span, no or
reduced weekend running, overcrowding, lack of connectivity
with other services (e.g. buses connecting with trains at
railway interchanges).

Let us know and please be as specific as you can.

Buses are the major form of public transport in the City of
Banyule (which is currently served by the No.27 route bus
services). However, whilst the growth in bus patronage in
Melbourne is over 14% per annum, it is much lower for Banyule
services which was measured at about 4.7% in 2007/08.

Friends of Banyule recently provided a Submission
for the Banyule/Darebin/Moreland Bus Review to the Department
of Transport. Please click
here to download a copy of our Submission to the Review.
Also, click on the following links for Friends of
Banyule'slatest Press Release dated March 31,2010
and our letter to Martin Pakula MLC

Concerns remain on Victorian government approach to
local bus services
(posted 5 May 2010)

Residents of the City of Banyule and surrounding municipalities
are anxiously awaiting the outcome of the review of local bus
services currently being conducted by the Victorian government.
Local route bus services that currently operate in Banyule and
in much of Melbourne are poor and require major reform. Services
are infrequent, routes are indirect in many cases and there are
insufficient Saturday and Sunday services. Connections with rail
services are also poor at many stations and interchanges.

This issue is urgent and it is incumbent on the government to
take early effective action. The reply made on the minister's
behalf contain no inkling that there will be much needed reforms.
Unfortunately, the outcomes announced by the Victorian government
from the bus reviews conducted elsewhere in Melbourne have been
very disappointing.

Most road traffic in Banyule is generated locally or from a nearby
municipality. With rising concern about climate change and growing
road congestion, many more Banyule residents should and would use
public transport to go to work, to school, to shop and visit
friends. However, current service arrangements make this
impossible for many.

Please see our 'In the
Press' webpage for feedback from residents - in
particular the article in the Manningham Leader from January 28,
2010

We recommend to the Victorian government that they accept the
recommendations in our submission to the bus review and to respond
positively to develop sustainable transport in Banyule and
surrounding suburbs, reduce road congestion and associated noise
and air pollution and to preserve the natural environment.

The 903 SmartBus which services Burgundy Street, Bell Street and
Northland Shopping Centre and beyond every 15 minutes on weekdays.
City of Banyule residents need more bus services of this quality to
reduce car dependency and protect the environment

Walking and Cycling in
Banyule

How easy is it for residents of Banyule
to walk or to take a bicycle ride, either to work, the shops or to
school?

Cycling is becoming more & more popular in Melbourne, not only
for recreation but also for everyday travel. How easy is it
in Banyule?

The Hurstbridge Line Rail service includes these stations in Banyule: Darebin, Ivanhoe,
Eaglemont, Heidelberg, Rosanna, Macleod, Watsonia, and
Greensborough.
For full details of routes and timetables see Metlink's Hurstbridge
Line link.

The No.86 Tram from Bundoora RMIT to Waterfront City
Docklands runs on the western perimeter of Banyule.